abasto en london /
this is buenos aires:
a sound-cadavre exquis between london and buenos aires
last year, while in residency in el basilisco, buenos aires, I started a project with local young bands and musicians. I gave 30 bands one line each from the classic from ‘The Clash’ ‘This is England’, to play a small piece each, not a cover version but a kind of jingle for the band, a short demo in their best style. contributions were compiled and edited in a 3min version, (a cadaver exquis or sound collage) and a longer version with the full contributions.
By public demand, this project will have a mirror version recorded in london. the two pieces will then be shown, together with graphic material and previous recordings of the bands, at a London gallery later this year and also in buenos aires later on.
'apathy for the party' y 'dime miami'
the project exists to bring into my current context in england part of my history, the influence that argentinian music still has in my life, and the unfair degree of exchange between south and north, despite the quality of the musical productions. the participating bands were chosen by word of mouth, from friend to friend.
so far the participating bands in argentina are: apathy for the party, rock set (with javiera mena), marlon bardo, gas, oupen sors, holly stocker, jesús y cleopatra, farmacia, dime miami, fósforo líquido, green noise (migue y leo), misterio, melancólico robinson y su orquesta de señoritas, and liga sudamericana...
this is bsas es un cadáver exquisito sonoro con la participación de una veintena de bandas de buenos aires. se le dio a cada uno de los grupos participantes una línea de la letra del tema ‘this is england' de the clash, y se grabaron las colaboraciones de cada una. con los fragmentos se editó una versión completa, de unos 90 minutos de largo, así como una versión recortada de 3 mins, sólo con las partes donde se usa la letra
'marlon bardo', 'gas' y 'holly stocker'
este proyecto quiere hablar del asimétrico grado de permeabilidad e intercambio de la cultura musical entre norte y sur, a pesar de la calidad de las producciones a ambos lados. las bandas fueron contactadas en un proceso natural, de amigo en amigo durante los dos meses que duró la residencia con el basilisco. las bandas participantes en buenos aires son, hasta ahora: rock set (con javiera mena), marlon bardo, gas, oupen sors, holly stocker, jesús y cleopatra, farmacia, fósforo líquido, green noise (migue y leo), misterio, liga sudamericana, el melancólico robinson y su orquesta de señoritas, dime miami, y apathy for the party
***
un proceso simétrico se iniciará con bandas londinenses en 2005, utilizando la letra del tema de 'sumo' ‘mañana en el abasto', que fue seleccionada casi unánimemente por los músicos para representar a la ciudad. se organizará una primera presentación de la pieza a finales de 2005 en londres y buenos aires
’Abasto en London’ is the second part of the project. 20 London bands will receive one line each from the Argentinean classic ‘MAÑANA EN EL ABASTO’, by Luca Prodan, (SUMO) to create a piece each. ’Sumo’ was Started by this italian who arrived to argentina from the uk and started a rock revolution there in the eighties. by then, argentine rock was for some slightly solemn after a musically very prolific seventies. Luca Proden's songs were a powerful, intelligent combination of Lou Reed, Bob Marley, The Clash, Joy Division and himself. He used to sing in English during the Malvinas War, which was not a sane thing to do. Young people began to love him, young rockers started to follow him even more so after his death in 1987. Part of the idea of the project is to show the asymmetry of the cultural exchange between two very influential countries, each with huge musical industries. Questions on current tendencies in music, translation, movement and globalisation will also naturally be posed by the resulting art piece.
call for contributions:
Mañana en el Abasto
Luca Prodan * SUMO
Mañana de sol, bajo por el ascensor,
calle con árboles, chica pasa con temor.
No tengas miedo, no, me pelé por mi trabajo,
las lentes son para el sol y para la gente que me da asco.
No vayas a la escuela por que San Martín te espera,
estás todo el día sola y mirás mi campera.
---
Tomates podridos por las calles del Abasto,
podridos por el sol que quiebra las calles del Abasto.
Hombre sentado ahí, con su botella de Resero,
los bares tristes y vacíos ya, por la clausura del Abasto.
---
José Luis y su novia se besan por ahí en el Abasto,
yo paso y me saludan bajo la sombra del Abasto.
Parada Carlos Gardel, es la estación del Abasto,
Sergio trabaja en el bar en la estación del Abasto,
piensa siempre más y más, será por el aburrimiento.
Subte Línea B y yo me alejo más del cielo,
ahí escucho el tren, ahí escucho el tren,
estoy en el subsuelo, estoy en el subsuelo.
The Clash
This Is England
(Strummer/Rhodes)
I hear a gang fire on a human factory farm
Are they howling out or doing somebody harm
On a catwalk jungle somebody grabbed my arm
A voice spoke so cold it matched the weapon in her palm
This is England
This knife of Sheffield steel
This is England
This is how we feel
Time on his hands freezing in those clothes
He won't go for the carrot They beat him by the pole
Some sunny day confronted by his soul
He's out at sea, too far off, he can't go home
This is England
What we're supposed to die for
This is England
And we're never gonna cry no more
Black shadow of the Vincent
Falls on a Triumph line
I got my motorcycle jacket
But I'm walking all the time
South Atlantic wind blows Ice from a dying creed -
I see no glory When will we be free
This is England
We can chain you to the rail
This is England
We can kill you in a jail
The British boots go kick them Got 'em in the head
Police ain't watchin' - The newspapers been read
Who cares to protest - A flash in the eye like a flare
Out came the batons and - The British warned themselves?
This is England
The land of (il)legal dances
This is England
Land of a thousand stances
This is England
This knife of Sheffield steel
This is England
This is how we feel
This is England
This is England
forthcoming shows of this piece:
| c.c. rojas. buenos aires (2006)
| 39 gallery. London (late 2005)
| home | top |